Sustainable development and the role of energy in the development process are vital issues and have gained a great deal of
attention over the last few decades. Fossil fuels are the main stream
of energy from ancient time. But unfortunately, these fossil fuel
reservoirs are dwindling very fast due to rapid growth in the global
population and industrialization. This crunch on the energy has
prompted the efforts all over the world to explore some alternative
and potential sustainable energy sources[1].
Among different renewable energy sources, biodiesel has
gained a worldwide popularity due to its clean combustion and
renewability [2,3]. It has been reported that biodiesel blended
with mineral diesel efficiently reduces the emission of particulate
matters, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide to a substantial
extent with only minor power loss [1,4]. Moreover, biodiesel
provides one of the best energy returns among renewable fuels. It
returns about 90% more energy than the energy that is invested to
produce it, where ethanol, in comparison, only provides about
25% net energy[5].